Mount Kailash

About Mount Kailash:

Known as Kangrinboqe Peak in Tibet, Mount Kailash is one of the most sacred mountains as it is believed to be the navel of the universe. According to the Shiva Purana, visiting Mount Kailash and doing its Parikrama would bring good fortune and wash away sins. This four-faced holy mountain Kailash (North, South, East, and West) is the origin of four major rivers of Asia, namely the Indus, Karnali, Brahmaputra, and Sutlej.

Mt. Kailash has been regarded as Gang Tise or Gang Rinpoche in Tibetan, which means “The Snow Mountain. The shape of this magical mountain peak makes it distinguishable from other surrounding peaks. The top of Mount Kailash is curved, which makes it resemble Shivalinga, and it is the only mountain that remains covered with snow throughout the year. Mount Kailash is a virgin peak, as nobody has ever been able to climb it. It is said that the process of ageing is faster near Mount Kailash.

Location of Mount Kailash:

Mount Kailash is situated in the Ngari Prefecture of Tibet, the Autonomous region of China. It lies in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau at an elevation of about 6700m. There are two lakes, namely Mansarovar Lake and Rakshastal, at the foot of Mount Kailash, resembling the Sun and Moon respectively.

Significance of Mount Kailash:

Mount Kailash has been the religious epicentre for four religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bön. Even though all of these religions have different beliefs and gods, they have acknowledged Mount Kailash as "The Centre of The World" and regard it as their holy mountain.

• According to Hindu mythology, Mount Kailash is believed to be the place where Lord Shiva (the principal god) lived with his consort, Mata Parvati, and their children.


• In Buddhism, Mount Kailash has been regarded as Mount Meru. It is believed to be the residence of Shengle Vajra (the Buddha Cakrasamvara or Demchok), who represents endless happiness.


• According to Jain scriptures, Mount Kailash is the site where their first Tirthankara, Rishabhadeva, was liberated.


• The Bön religion that originated in the Kailash region regards Mt. Kailash as a ladder for the gods to descend to earth and ascend to heaven. They believed there were 360 Gods of Bon residents in the mountain.

Parikrama of Mount Kailash:

The 40km distance of Mt. Kailash Parikrama is covered in 2 and a half days. This distance can be covered either on foot or on a pony. Yamdwar is the base of Mount Kailash Parikrama. On the First Day of Kailash Mountain Parikrama, we cover a 10 km distance from Yamdwar to Dhirapuk. This is the most auspicious day of the Kailash Yatra because Mount Kailash is visible throughout the day. We get to see Nandi Parvat and the south face of Kailash Parvat on this day.

On the Second Day of Kailash Mountain Parikrama, we cover a 22 km distance from Dirapuk to Zutulpuk. The 22km distance is divided into three parts- the first 6 km is uphill, the next 6 km is downhill, and the last 10 km is flat. The first stretch of 6 km (Dirapuk to Dol Mala Pass) is the toughest part of Mount Kailash Parikrama. The last 10 km is a beautiful stretch with the Karnali river (one of the 4 holy rivers of Kailash) flowing by the side. On this day, you get to see Shivasthal, Dolma La Pass, and Gauri Kund.

On the Third and last Day of Kailash Mountain Parikrama, we cover an 8 km distance from Zutulpuk. It is a plain terrain that gets covered in 2 to 3 hours. Once you reach down, a bus will be waiting for the return journey. With this, the Mount Kailash Parikrama will be completed.

We get to see the following places during the Parikrama of Mount Kailash during our Kailash Mansarovar Yatra:

• Mount Kailash
• Yam Dwar
• Nandi Parvat
• Shivasthal
• Gauri Kund